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Manchester United is delighted to announce that Anthony Martial has completed his transfer from AS Monaco. Anthony joins on a four-year contract with the option to extend for a further year.

Martial, 19, has made 70 appearances for AS Monaco since joining in 2013 and has scored 15 goals. The forward has represented his country from Under-16 level right through to Under-21, and was called up to France's senior national squad for the first time on 28 August.

Anthony Martial said: "I am so excited to be joining Manchester United. I have enjoyed my time at AS Monaco and I would like to thank them and the fans for everything they have done for me.

"I have always wanted to play in the Premier League and to join the biggest club in the world is what every young footballer dreams of. I am looking forward to meeting my new team-mates and working with Louis van Gaal who has achieved so much in his career."

Louis van Gaal commented: "Anthony is a naturally talented, young, multi-functional forward with great potential. We have been watching him for a while now and he has developed immensely during his time at AS Monaco.

"I am delighted he has joined Manchester United as I believe this is the right club for him to continue his development as a young player. He has all the attributes to become a top football player; however we need to give him time to adjust to his new environment and the rhythm of the Premier League."

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The crazy world of football is that there is a market and a market price. We cannot have any influence on that price. I have said to Ed [Woodward], he is the best of his age, and we need a striker in the future. So we can wait a year and then he is £10million more expensive, but now we can build him up and at the right time he can enter the game.

I can imagine that the fans shall think £50million, he has to score! No, he is 19 and he has to adapt. It is very difficult to adapt. You have seen how Di Maria struggled and he is 27. Falcao was 29. At Manchester United the pressure is much higher than another club, so I don’t think we have to put too much pressure on him. He has to adapt to our culture and our philosophy. Then, maybe he can show signals of his quality in the season.

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Monaco vice president Vadim Vasilyev claims another club outbid Man United for Anthony Martial but the striker insisted on a “dream” move to Old Trafford.

Martial completed his move to United on deadline day and has since made a big impression. The 19-year-old scored a stunning goal on his debut against Liverpool before netting a brace against Southampton and another in the Capital One Cup win over Ipswich.

The Red Devils paid £36million up front for the France forward, with add-ons meaning the fee could rise up to £58million. But Vasilyev says Monaco received a higher offer from another club, who were willing to loan Martial back to the Ligue 1 side for the rest of the season.

“There was another club that offered even more than United,” he told Marca. “I will not say how much, but the fixed price, without variables, it was even better. And also they offered us to have him for a further year in Monaco.

“But the boy wanted to go to Manchester, it was his dream. And we let him go with the bonus of 30million euros. Had it not been for so much money, he’d have stayed.”